Basketball backstop



Jan. 17, 1939. E. J. GROSS BASKETBALL BACKSTOP Filed Jan. 3, 1938 Patented Jan. 17, 1939 STATES BASKETBALL BAoKs'ror ElmerJ. Gross, Chicago, Ill assignor to J. E. Porter Corporation, Ottawa, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 3, 1938. S c1'ial No. 133,117

6 Claims.

A;special;object is to. provide for such compactness when collapsedand folded as to accommodate easy concealnient in a minimum of space, as forinstanice ina clo'setorunder a platform or the like.

"t s erentiog is ll s r sg i w a H a s deviewnf hg ev e a Small 319 4 1. 1q .q' sit on n h r part of the; stage. or platform, ready for unfolding and isins:

3,-s wsihe pos t n aft h first step n wie in the frame Rig '4 shows theposition after the second undin mov ment Fig. 5 shows thefinal position after the third unfolding movement, the backstop proper and basket being heldfprwardfrom the platform and er the y nas um 190? h rearward a of the frame being detachably secured to the platm oo asw l he pla ned- Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View showing one of. the floor anchorage engaging means.

Fig. "7; isa similarly enlarged view in section on the line1 ofliig. 6. c

Fig: 8 is a fragmentary view on amedium scale showing one of; the jack knife joints on one of thefolding tension struts of the frame.

Fig. 9;, on. alike scale with Fig. 8, shows a rod and socket joint, suchas provided for the forward frame brace struts.

When ready for use the backboard appears as in Figures 1. and5. Here the unit I as a whole comprises a planar panel or backboard proper indicated by numeral 2 and a foldable supportmg name 3', shown fully extended and erect, the latter having wheels o'r'casters 4, and floor en-- gaging? fasteners 5. The basket 6 has a rigid annular-rinrand supporting arm unit 6." afiixed to the face of the backboard 2 in the usual way, as ho n/ The said frame 3 comprises, first, a horizontal bottom part I2 to which the casters 4 and fasteners 5 are attached, second, a part I3 hinged. to the forward edge of the part l2 for upward and forward swinging, jackknife braces [4 (see Fig.

8)'lconnecting the remote edges of said parts l2 and [3} when the device is in use and also support ing the free edge of the part I3, third, a part [5 pivoted to the upper edge of the part I3 swing? able upwardly to a horizontal forward position, with brace means It swingably connected at IE to uphold the front edge thereof, and fourth, a

main part ll on which the board 2 is rigidly,

mounted, saidpart I! being pivoted to the front edge of said" part [5 for upward swinging thereon, and rearward jackknife braces l8 (see Fig. 8) to secure said part I! and its board 2 in erect position on said part l5. Said braces 18 are substantially like the corresponding braces 14 for part I3.

The said part or base l2 comprises a. front bar 2|, a rear bar 22, an intermediate bar 23, and side bars 24, all rigidly connected as apparent from Fig. 1.

The second part [3 constituting the first lift member or riser comprises side bars 21, a top crosjs bar 2 8 and a lower crossbar 29 serving also as a hinge pivot for the braces it. The base pivots 3ll for bars 2'i are carried on short posts 3i set at the forward corner of the base part l2.

The third part comprises two side bars 33, a forward end bar 34, and a medial crossbar 35 somewhatfback of bar 34. On saidbar 35 are fixed a pair of socket units 36 to receive the free upper ends of braces I6. The bars 33 are pivoted at their rear ends to short posts 33 set on bars 21, as shown at 33". r

The board carrying part I! comprises merely a pair of side bars 33 secured by fasteners 39 to theback of board 2 and a pair of pivot fixtures 40 set near the outer ends 'of bars 38 to carry the pivots. 4| for members [8.

The central joints 45 for the bars I4 and. l8, each comprises a channel-shaped lock member 46 rigid with the upper section. as M", and provided with a pivot 41 at its upper end to hold the lower section, as M, thelower end beingapertured at 48 in registry with a corresponding aperture 49 somewhat back from the upper end of the lower bar section as on bar part l4 to receive a locking pin 50, as appears on Fig. 8.

The four floor anchors 5 (see Fig. 7) each comprisesa bracket 55 clamped to a side bar 24, in

combination with a foot 56 pivoted thereto at 57 and provided with a hand releasable clamp bolt 58 having a wingnut 58'. The said foot has a tread part 59 and a lateral arm 60 centrally apertured and carrying a down hold bolt GI adapted to releasably engage an anchorage plate 53 set permanently in the floor. The bolt 6| has a thumb nut 65 for setting the lock. The arm 60 is riveted to foot 56 at 61 and 68. Fig. 6 shows an extra hole 69 in foot 63 to receive bolt 58 when the foot is raised to the position indicated in dotted outline.

It may be noted that the short spacing-posts 3i, 33' and 38, set at right angles to their supporting parts I2, I3 and I5 respectively, serve when the framework 3 is folded horizontally to maintain sufficient separation of the adjacent parts to accommodate the accessory members, including the braces I4, I6, and I8 and the liftrod 70. The brace members I4 and I8 are all provided at their ends with pivots set in bar clamps as illustrated at M and 40. The frame Work is mainly of iron pipe with corner pipe fittings such as at H.

Operation When the backstop is to be used it is first trundled from its storage place to the front of the stage [2, or wherever desired, as for instance on the floor 73. ,Then, second, the foot anchorages are swung down and secured to the floor plates 63, as shown in Figs. 2 and '7.

Then, third, the attendant grips the edge part 3 1 near the base of board 2 and, fourth, swings the parts I5 and I! with board I2 backward on pivots 33" to the position shown in Fig. 2, and fifth, the braces I6 are then set in place at 36 and, sixth, secured by pins I4 carried on chains I5, see Fig. 9. In order to prevent excessive swing in thus unfolding, a pair of chains 16 extend from bar 29 to bar or between equivalently effective points on bars 21 and 33, as will be understood.

Next, seventh, the operator grasps the top part of the backboard 2 or its adjacent support members, and eighth, swings the folded parts 2, I5 and IT and part I3 upward and forward to the position of Fig. d. Then, ninth, the pins 50 carried on chains 18 are inserted in the joint member at 48. The tenth step is to unfasten the strap 19 which holds the link parts I4 and I4" snugly together when the device is put away. The operator then, eleventh, grasps the free end of the pendant lift rod 10 and, twelfth, pushes upward and thereby thirteenth swings the board 2 and the supporting part I! upward on the hinges 38" to the playing position, as in Fig. 5, the goal basket 6 being held securely above the floor I3.

Fourteenth, he then inserts the joint pins in the knuckle joints of links 45. Finally, fifteenth, he fastens the free end of rod III to the frame I! just back of board 2.

To fold the device one merely reverses the steps above enumerated.

Hence it is apparent that the device can be folded and rolled away in five minutes. During games it fastens to flush floor plates and is so designed and braced that it is just as rigid as a stationary backstop.

By merely withdrawing four lock pins and unscrewing four hand screws, this backstop can 'be foldeddown and moved out of sight. When thus foldedfor storage, the maximum height of the backstop, not counting the goal, is only 38 inches.

It is equipped with 5 inch diameter extra strong rubber tired casters. Oneman, as soon as he understands the operation, can set up and take down the backstop.

The four planar frame members I2, I3, I5, and I! all pivotally connected or hinged together edge to edge in series, make for horizontal compactness when folded and for great strength and frame rigidity when extended and braced by members I4, I6, and I8, ready for basketball use.

It is to be understood that some of the details set forth may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as-defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A basketball backstop comprising a basket supporting board in combination with a downwardly and rearwardly collapsible frame having means for anchorage to the floor, said frame consisting substantially of a plurality of serially god horizontally foldable planar members and releasable braces to secure them in effective board supporting position for use of the backstop.

2. A basketball backstop device comprising a basket carrying board and a folding frame to uphold the board in vertical playing position when said frame is extended and to hold said board in horizontally lowered position when said frame is folded for removal of the device to a storage place, said frame including two sets of horizontal members one set to be held elevated above the other and forwardly thereof when the device is unfolded for use and pivotal linkage means swingable upwardly to carry and support the upper said members on the lower members and to hold the said board erect at the front of said device.

3. A unitary device of the class described comprising a basketball board and a foldable frame to enable ready erection and lowering of said board, said frame comprising a horizontal bottom part having means for anchorage to the floor, a second part hinged to the forward edge of the first said part for upward and forward swinging, jackknife braces connecting the remote edges of said parts when the device is in use and also supporting the free edge of the said second part, a third part pivoted to the upper edge of the second part and swingable upwardly to a horizontal forward position, with brace means swingably connected to uphold the front edge thereof, and a fourth part on which said board is rigidly mounted, said fourth part being pivoted to the front edge of said third part for upward swinging thereon, and rearward jackknife braces to secure said fourth part and said board in erect position on said third part.

4. A foldable backstop device adapted for portability comprising a goal basket supporting board in combination with a downwardly and rearwardly collapsible frame having a base equipped both with wheels and with means for anchorage to the floor, said frame including intermediate fold members swingable to ninety degrees relative to each other and to the adjacent board and base, and articulated brace means for the front and rear, which brace means are disposed in compression and in tension respectively.

5. A foldable backstop device adapted for portability comprising a goal supporting board in combination with a downwardly and rearwardly collapsible frame comprising a floor engaging base and intermediate fold members swingable to ninety degrees relative to each other and to the adjacent board and base, and articulated backboard therefor held in a vertical plane when in operative position, and a frame comprising a series of horizontal and vertical members foldably connected together in series edge to edge for holding said backboard in operative position when extended, and. arranged to be folded one upon another whereby said vertical and horizontal members all lie horizontally when said apparatus is folded for storage.

ELMER J. GROSS. 

